| Preface | xi |
| 1 | Introduction | 1 |
| Myths and the Real World | 4 |
| The Mesoamerican Mythmakers | 7 |
| Who are the Mesoamericans? | 7 |
| How Do We Know about Mesoamericans? | 12 |
| The Mythmakers' Worldviews | 18 |
| Cosmic Topography | 20 |
| Power-filled Inhabitants | 24 |
| Calendrically Determined Transformation | 26 |
| Sacrifice | 29 |
| Mesoamerican Cultural History | 32 |
| 1. | The Paleo-Indian (ca. 25,000 B.C.-7000 B.C.) | 36 |
| 2. | The Archaic (ca. 7000-2000 B.C.) | 37 |
| 3. | The Preclassic Period (ca. 2000 B.C.-A.D. 250) | 38 |
| 4. | The Classic Period (ca. A.D. 250-900/1000) | 45 |
| 5. | The Postclassic Period (ca. A.D. 900/1000-1521) | 52 |
| 6. | The Spanish Conquest and Colonization of Mesoamerica (1521-1808) | 60 |
| 7. | Independence to the Present (1808-2000) | 67 |
| Notes | 76 |
| 2 | Mythic Timelines | 79 |
| Two Mythic Histories: K'iche' and Nahua | 81 |
| K'iche' Maya History | 81 |
| Nahua History | 90 |
| Mythological Time | 114 |
| Time's Purpose | 115 |
| Time's Workings | 117 |
| Notes | 123 |
| 3 | Deities, Themes, and Concepts | 127 |
| Acamapichtli, Lord | 127 |
| Ahuitzotl, Lord | 128 |
| Ajitz C'oxol | 130 |
| Bacabs | 130 |
| Bats | 132 |
| Blood Woman | 134 |
| Calendar Deities | 135 |
| Canek | 137 |
| Chac and the Chacs | 139 |
| Chalchiuhtlicue | 140 |
| Christ | 143 |
| Cihuacoatl | 147 |
| Cizin | 149 |
| Coatlicue | 150 |
| Cortes, Fernando (Hernan) | 152 |
| Coyolxauhqui | 154 |
| Cuauhtemoc, Lord | 156 |
| Dead, Day of the | 158 |
| Deer | 161 |
| Devil | 164 |
| Dogs | 170 |
| Earth, Agricultural, and Hunting Deities | 173 |
| Feathered Serpents | 180 |
| Fifth Sun | 183 |
| God L | 184 |
| Guadalupe, Virgin of | 185 |
| Gukumatz | 190 |
| Hero Twins (Hunahpu and Xbalanque) | 191 |
| Huitzilopochtli | 193 |
| Hunab Ku | 195 |
| Itzamna | 196 |
| Ix Chel | 198 |
| Jurakan | 200 |
| Kinich Ahau | 200 |
| Kukulcan | 201 |
| La Llorona | 202 |
| Malinche | 204 |
| Moon | 207 |
| Motecuhzoma I (Ilhuicamina), Lord | 211 |
| Motecuhzoma II (Xocoyotzin), Lord | 213 |
| Nahual (Nagual) | 215 |
| 1-Death (Hun Came) and 7-Death (Vucub Came) | 217 |
| Opossums | 218 |
| Pacal | 221 |
| Quetzalcoatl | 223 |
| Rain and Water Deities | 228 |
| Saints | 232 |
| Sky Deities and Beings | 238 |
| Sun | 246 |
| Tezcatlipoca | 250 |
| Tizoc, Lord | 254 |
| Tlacaellel | 255 |
| Tlaloc and the Tlaloques | 256 |
| Underworld and Caves, Deities of the | 258 |
| Yum Kaax (Diving God) | 265 |
| 4 | Annotated Print and Nonprint Resources | 267 |
| Books and Articles | 267 |
| Videos | 274 |
| Pre-Conquest Mexican and Mayan | 274 |
| Post-Conquest-Contemporary Mexico | 276 |
| Contemporary Central America | 277 |
| Web Sites | 278 |
| General Mesoamerica | 278 |
| Maya | 280 |
| Ancient and Contemporary Mexico | 283 |
| Reference List | 285 |
| Glossary | 303 |
| Index | 315 |
| About the Authors | 337 |
